More than 100 representatives from different regional line agencies, local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and other regional stakeholders identified the major issues and concerns of the region for inclusion in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) during the regional consultation on the PDP 2017-2022 midterm update on 31 July 2019 at the Summit Hotel, Tacloban City.

The consultation generated inputs from stakeholders in Eastern Visayas on the important regional issues and concerns that require action at the national level.

Participants also shared their insights on the region’s performance on key socioeconomic indicators during the first three (3) years of the PDP implementation.

The regional consultations are done as part of the midterm updating of the PDP to ensure the alignment of the Regional Development Plan (RDP) and the PDP. The regional consultations also give the regions the opportunity to voice out their concerns and lay out the priority areas for inclusion in the updated PDP.

“Let us take this opportunity to be heard, let us give the PDP team something to lobby for,” said NEDA Regional Office (NRO) VIII OIC-ARD Jam Colas during her welcome message.

Director Reynaldo R. Cancio of the NEDA-National Policy and Planning Staff (NPPS) explained the purpose of the PDP updating during his orientation of the participants.

“[It is] basically to take stock [of our gains], review where we are, what we have accomplished, and whether we need to make some changes [in] the targets, or even the strategies, that we set out back in 2017.”

The inputs gathered in the regional consultation will serve as inputs in updating the PDP.

The PDP is updated along with the RDPs half-way through the six-year implementation period to ensure that the indicators and the strategies stated in the plan are still in line with current realities.

Article by: Knulp Aseo, NEDA VIII
Photos by: Jay-Ar O. Ragub, NEDA VIII